Obesity Increases Alzheimer's

Older adults who maintain a healthy weight may be preserving their mind and memory at the same time.

A study published in the May 2008 issue of Obesity Reviews shows that weight matters when it comes to warding off dementia. Researchers with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore have found that obese people have an 80% increased risk for Alzheimer's disease compared to those with normal weight.

Being underweight makes you 36% more likely to develop such cognitive disorders.

Read the entire article

Passing Gallstones

Being into natural health methods for almost 30 years, I've heard a lot. The gallbladder cleanse is one of those things that has popped up now and then over the years as I've heard stories of people passing stones during and after the cleanse.

This is the most recent story I've seen. It's certainly nice to know that people are still using simple ways of doing things. Of course, I'm not making any recommendations on whether or not to do surgery, but you can certainly learn a lot by researching on the internet.

I've always heard that the apple juice you need to use must be natural, not the common water-thin stuff from the grocery store. "Real" apple juice has some of the fiber still in it and might be called "unfiltered." I've read there are more antioxidants in this type of apple juice, so I'm sure there are other properties that are important also.

Here's a great place to begin.

Good Bugs In The Garden

There are many good bugs in the insect kingdom and you will want to have them in your garden and yard to eat the bad bugs. If you're spraying insecticides you won't have them. Matter of fact it seems the good bugs don't tolerate poison as well as the bad one, so you can mess up the balance of your garden real easy with chemicals.

Here's a site that lists several bugs you will want to find in your garden. With the photos you will hopefully be able to recognize what you may have already seen in your yard. Sadly, most folks think any bug is a bad bug ... so share this information with your neighbors too.

Take A Look At The Good Bugs

Building Self-Control

From The Word For You Today Devotional

If you let it, your body will lead you off course. It isn't that your body is evil; it's just that it possesses a number of appetites that are always ready to respond to the surrounding stimuli, all of which are terribly appealing and temporarily satisfying.

Restraining ourselves - self-control - is listed in the Bible as proof God's Spirit lives within us. (Galatians 5:23)

Living without restraint is like removing the brakes from your car. It may be exciting for a while, but inevitably you'll pay a high price for the ride. Take away the brakes, and your life, like your car, is transformed into an unguided missile - headed for disaster.

Romans 6:12-16 says, "Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead give yourselves completely to God ... realize that ... whatever you choose to obey ... becomes your master."

Henry Parry Liddon observed, "What we do on some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are; and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline."

Each day look for an opportunity to say 'no' to yourself in some small area. Try it; you'll be surprised how hard it is, but the payoff will come when you need to say no to yourself in some big area of life. Like saving for a rainy day, you'll have spiritual strength to draw on when you need it.

Surgery Videos Online

I happened upon a site that allows you to view surgical procedures in webcast format. These are actual operations performed at medical centers in the United States. The videos last an hour.

I don't consider surgery part of the "natural health" philosophy but they have certainly saved lives at times and none of us can determine what will be the best method to wellness until you're faced with the need to choose.

There are so many types I can't begin to list and even transplant surgeries. Make your choice here.

Heartworms Gone Naturally

"Abby is my lovely, mixed-breed rescue. She tested positive for heartworms. The vet at the time was incredulous that I did not want the conventional treatment for her.

I found Bandit's Buddies website and a very insightful article about the hazards of treating heartworms with Ivermectin. That confirmed my decision to avoid it. I decided to try Bandit's heartworm program.

I am so thankful to those who believed in the healing power of nature. Robin's website provided the affirmation that I needed, actually finding out about other dogs who encountered heartworms and survived.

These testimonies gave me courage!

Abby is now 9 years old and in very good condition. She had tested positive for heartworms for six years, but now is healthy and heartworm free!"

Read the full story (and other heartworm success stories).